A Journey Through Still Waters

Norman's Cay to Shroud Cay  |  1.2 Hours  |  6.3 Miles   

How odd it was to wake up and discover that there was no breeze ... at all. The water was completely flat. A trip out to the bow gave us a clean and undistorted look at the anchor buried in the sand, below 15 feet of water. We were in no hurry to leave and piddled around for a few hours. I read in the warm sunshine and gazed out at the horizon where the water blended seamlessly with the sky. At 11:00 we raised the dingy back to the upper deck and were on our way. 

We passed several mega yachts on our way out of the anchorage. Even in the slightly deeper water of the Bahama Banks, there was still no wind to create ripples on the water. Less than an hour later we made the turn into the Shroud Cay anchorage. Southern Abode continued south, their wake providing a few small ripples on its monochromatic surrounding. The vision of an anchored sailboat appeared to be one taken from a painting. 

Shroud Cay is at the northern-most reach of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. No fishing or dumping is permitted within park limits. There is no development -- just the beauty of nature. Shortly after anchoring I spotted the power of nature as a waterspout formed over the opposite side of the island. It was close enough to see the rotation moving up the funnel. It quickly dissipated and my attention turned back to the creatures in the sea such as the passing fish or the bottom-dwelling sea star. The combination of strong mid-afternoon sun and no wind made for a hot stay of Fiberglass Beach. I actually retreated to the shade for a little over an hour. When I came back out, a breeze could be felt that made all the difference in the world. I read until the sun dropped behind the cloud bank, then below the horizon. With our late departure, we missed our tide window for our favorite dinghy ride through the mangroves. That will come tomorrow.